Archaeologists find 'gate to hell' in Turkey emitting noxious gases

'Gate to hell' found in Turkey

Archaeologists have discovered a “gate to hell” at a dig site in Turkey.

The ruin is known as Pluto’s Gate, and was fabled as the doors to the underworld in both Greek and Roman traditions. The gate is known as the Plutonium in Latin.

The cave where the ruins were located emit dangerous and poisonous gasses, much like the gate was said to do in Greek mythology.

We found the Plutonium by reconstructing the route of a thermal spring

“We could see the cave’s lethal properties during the excavation. Several birds died as they tried to get close to the warm opening, instantly killed by the carbon dioxide fumes,” Francesco D’Andria, professor of classic archaeology at the University of Salento, told Discovery News.

The gates were part of a much larger dig site around the ancient city of Hierapolis.

“We found the Plutonium by reconstructing the route of a thermal spring. Indeed, Pamukkale’ springs, which produce the famous white travertine terraces originate from this cave,” D’Andria told Discovery News.

As Austin Considine at Vice, explains, “the Plutonion is really a natural phenomenon, an opening in the earth’s crust, like a cave, from which foul and poisonous gasses escaped—also known as ‘mephitic’ gasses.”

D’Andria explained that the gate was even a tourist attraction in ancient times. Pilgrims were given birds to test the gasses (they died), while stoned priests sacrificed animals to the god of the dead.

“People could watch the sacred rites from these steps, but they could not get to the area near the opening. Only the priests could stand in front of the portal,” D’Andria told Discovery.

The site was destroyed in the sixth century by Christians and later by earthquakes.

There are other such “gates” across the world, although none have the same specific cultural significance as the one near Hierapolis.

Another gate in Turkmenistan known as “The Door to Hell,” has been on fire for at least 40 years, as the natural gasses have stayed ignited. It is next to the small town of Derweze.

The Door to Hell was discovered in 1971 when Soviet geologists drilled into a Natural gas chamber and ignited the gas. It has been on fire ever since.